The Scarlet Devil 2: Scarlet Devil Rhapsody
by Cyberchao X
Summary: The name says it all-TSD is back with a vengeance, this time with Flan as the focus.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: You know the schtick by now. All characters are property of ZUN, except the ones that aren't.

_SURPRISE! My name's Kogasa Tatara, and I don't really have a purpose in this story, but I'm good at surprising people so the author called on me to deliver this news. It's a big one! Okay, so the author was laying in bed with Touhou music stuck in his head _yet again_—you'd think he'd have learned by now, right?—specifically, "U.N. Owen was Her?" I'm sure given the format here, you know _exactly_ where this is going, right? Except it shouldn't really be enough for a full fic, because Flandre-san already was starting to figure out her feelings for Utsuho-san, wasn't she? Well, that's true, but nowhere did the author say that the same was true of Utsuho-san. Also, just as the Mari-Ali wedding ended up becoming a beta plot in the original, this will also provide a forum for developing Nitori/Michiru, seeing as how they're out of place in _The Adventures of Team 9 Catering_. Well, Kisukisu is calling me, so I've got to go, but maybe I'll come back later on in…_

**The Scarlet Devil 2: Scarlet Devil Rhapsody  
><strong>by Cyberchao X

_Coming soon to a website near you!_

CCX: I had actually already used "ScarletDevilRhapsody" as a username on one site, one I joined while writing the original _The Scarlet Devil_ was my main fanfiction project. So right when I was about to put an A/N about wanting a subtitle but being unable to think of one, it came to me that that would actually be perfect._  
><em>


	2. Chapter 1

The Scarlet Devil 2: Scarlet Devil Rhapsody  
>by Cyberchao X<p>

Disclaimer: All characters are property of ZUN except for the ones that aren't.

Chapter 1

_My name is Rin Kaenbyou, but you can call me Orin. I'm among the many pets owned by Satori Komeiji, as is my closest friend, Utsuho Reiuji—Okuu for short. Lately, though, Okuu and I have been growing apart—ever since she met that vampire, Flandre Scarlet. Mistress Satori seems to think that Flandre has been a positive influence on Okuu, and while I guess I can't _really _disagree, it's still painful. At least Koishi-san understands me…_

"What's wrong, Orin-chan? You seem distant."

"It's…nothing."

"It's Okuu, isn't it? You're still hung up about her relationship with Flandre-san."

"That's…that's none of my concern. Okuu can have other friends if she wants to."

"But you're worried that it might not just be another friend."

"That? I don't see it. Besides, why wouldn't I want her to be happy?"

"Because Okuu is the one you love the most, right? And you feel jealous."

"Th-that's…" Patently ridiculous is what it is; I've got a lover right here, don't I? "Perhaps I should go. Spend some time alone or something." Koishi understood what I wanted, and we parted ways.

Satori and Utsuho were just about to leave when I arrived back home—headed for the Scarlet Devil Mansion, no doubt. "Hey, Orin! I was just about to head out to see Flan-chan! You wanna come along?"

"…Me?"

"Yeah! You're my best friend; I'm sure you and Flan-chan would be great friends as well."

"…Well, if I wouldn't be imposing…thank you. I'd love to."

* * *

><p>"You…brought along an extra guest," Remilia Scarlet said, surprised.<p>

"Okuu invited her along. Figures that since she and Orin are great friends and she and Flandre are great friends, Orin and Flandre should make great friends, too."

"Is she…"

"Okuu is very…innocent."

"Flan-chan was like that too for awhile, or so I thought. It may have just been an act." I wanted to hear more of Satori and Remilia's conversation, but Okuu was pulling me along, bringing me towards Flandre's room.

This was my first trip to the Scarlet Devil Mansion, and I was amazed at how big it was. It didn't seem possible, looking at it from the outside, that it could be this big. Finally, we got to Flandre's room. "Okuu-chaaaa~" Flandre trailed off. "You brought a friend along?"

"Uh-huh! This is Orin, and she's been my best friend for as long as I can remember. I'm sure we'll all have a great time together."

"O-okay…" Flandre was clearly disappointed, confirming my suspicions that Flandre, at the very least, seemed to see Utsuho as at least a potential girlfriend. This, too, seemed ridiculous—Okuu had the power of the sun, and Flandre was a vampire. The two couldn't be bigger opposites. And yet, that childish enthusiasm that I found so refreshing in Utsuho was also present in Flandre, and it was undeniable how Flandre seemed drawn to Utsuho, even when "playing" highly dangerous games involving danmaku (naturally she was all too happy to try to blow me up). And for some reason, I couldn't really get angry at Flandre for attacking me—couldn't really blame Utsuho if she were in love with the vampire. She had a certain "charisma"—a certain strength of character as well as a graceful…beauty? She saw me as a rival and got defensive; I can understand that. Though personally, I think she's got the upper hand right now anyway. She seems to hold more of Utsuho's heart, and she's definitely very cute…

Wait, _what?_ Which one am I supposed to be jealous of, Flandre or Utsuho? Because that last internal monologue sounded more like the latter. Well, regardless of whom it is I'm trying to impress, I definitely need to step up my game. Just wait and see…I won't give up so easily.

* * *

><p>CCX: Well, <em>I<em> think you're plenty beautiful, Orin. Twin braids, red hair…it's actually kind of odd that Orin isn't higher up my list of favorite characters.

Kogasa: So, yeah, I definitely think you gave the readers more than their fair share of surprises. An Orin/Koishi relationship and a very uncertain Orin/Utsuho/Flandre love triangle…

CCX: Only question is, how will we come up with enough narrators?

Kogasa: You'll manage! Besides, you can reuse the ones that you've already used in _The Scarlet Devil_, right?

CCX: Good point. Ja ne!


	3. Chapter 2

The Scarlet Devil 2: Scarlet Devil Rhapsody  
>by Cyberchao X<p>

Disclaimer: All characters belong to ZUN except for the ones that don't.

Chapter 2

_My name is Sakuya Izayoi. I'm still the head maid at the Scarlet Devil Mansion, though it's more by choice than due to any real obligation. It's still a bit challenging remembering to address my former mistresses in a more familiar matter, but Remi-san insists. Other than that, not much has changed, since the girls always came to me for help with whatever was bothering them anyway._

"What's going on in there?" I yelled, hearing the sounds of a danmaku battle. "I thought you and Okuu-san didn't have danmaku battles!" I walked in.

"Okuu-chan brought a friend along!" Flandre said happily. "Orin-san and I are battling!"

"Looks like you're winning…but could you please try to tone it down? Your battles always leave such a mess…"

"Sorry, Sakuya-san!"

The "change of address", so to speak, cut both ways. I had never warranted an honorific before. Remilia usually still addresses me without an honorific, but now it's the same as she and Patchy not using honorifics with each other. She says that I'm free to do the same, but it wouldn't feel right. "…And yet you continue to go at it with murderous intent."

"What? Flan-chan, you wouldn't!" Okuu cried out. "Hey, Flan-chan, that's enough!"

Flandre reluctantly stopped her assault. "Aw, I was just playing!"

"I've seen you 'just playing', Flandre-san, and that was not just playing. Not anymore, anyway." She used to have a lot of trouble differentiating between playing and wanton destruction—or perhaps more accurately, she equated the two—but she had gained quite a bit of control over her impulses, or so I thought.

"Ah, thank you, Okuu… Flandre-san is very scary."

"I thought you weren't scared of anything, Orin? You're one of the few people who isn't afraid of me, after all."

"That's…" The kasha started blushing, and suddenly Flandre's actions made sense. "You're way too kind to be scary."

"I am very scary!" the hell-raven protested.

"Oh, of course! I just meant to me. I know how much you pride yourself on being intimidating, but…you're always sweet to me, so…"

"Well, yeah, Orin, you're my best friend…but that's _because_ you didn't find me scary, even when we first met."

"Well, I guess I just didn't think someone so beautiful could be all bad…uh, I mean—" Utsuho was blushing, and Flandre was fuming. "Ah, that's not to say that you aren't, Flandre-san. I actually think you're very pretty. You have such beautiful wings, almost as lovely as Okuu's…eh?"

"It seemed like you needed a moment to collect your thoughts."

"What did you do to them?"

"I have the power to stop time. Normally, I just stop everything, but I can choose to allow others to perceive time normally."

"Er, thanks? Uh, Sakuya-san, was it?"

"It's no trouble. I know what it's like to wish you could take back something you just said to a secret crush."

"…Am I really that obvious?"

"Well, like I said, I can relate to your troubles. What I would _like_ to do right now is encourage you, tell you that it all worked out for me and that it could for you, too. However, although I am officially a resident of this mansion now rather than an employee, I still feel the need to look out for Flandre-san's best interests."

"'Officially a resident now?' So then the one that you fell in love with was…your mistress, Remilia-san?" The kasha was blushing again; I wasn't quite sure why, seeing as how she clearly had feelings for Utsuho. Although, I hadn't actually _seen_ the dynamic between her and her mistress, so it was possible that she had a lot more turmoil than I thought. "Well, I guess we're not so different…and I really _don't_ want to get in the way of those two; Okuu's been so much happier since she met Flandre-san…"

"You…"

"No…forget I said anything. I think I probably misled you a bit."

"…Koishi-san, then?"

"It's…nothing, really. I mean, yeah, I really like her, but…even she seems to think that my heart is with Okuu."

"Isn't reading hearts her special ability? …Well, like I said, it's really none of my business. I'm sure you'll work it out."

* * *

><p>CCX: This isn't exactly easy. Utsuho and Flandre are both characters who are pretty much insulated from the rest of Gensokyo, so there aren't as many narrators to go around. I suspect the majority of it will come from Utsuho's end, actually, as she's at least a resident of the Former Hell, whose characters we've already worked with before, and also has ties to the Moriya Shrine. Well, if nothing else, this here is a symbol that this fic is not dead. Ja ne!<p> 


	4. Chapter 3

The Scarlet Devil 2: Scarlet Devil Rhapsody  
>by Cyberchao X<p>

Disclaimer: All characters belong to ZUN except for the ones that don't.

Chapter 3

_My name is Suwako Moriya. I may not look like it, but I'm an ancient goddess with a long line of descendants. Of course, Kanako and I sort of have a new shrine now, what with Sanae-chan marrying into the Hakurei family. I kind of like it, though. There's never a dull moment here…_

Sanae shivered, grabbing Reimu and pulling her close. "Why is it so cold in here all of a sudden?"

"Well, it _is_ winter…but yeah, it's definitely colder in here than usual."

"I'sh nah sho bad," Suika slurred.

"That's because you're too drunk to notice. This type of cold means one of two things—Cirno-chan's stopped by for an impromptu visit, or Kanako-sama's heating system has failed."

"I don' think Cirno-chan's makin' shocial calls thish win'er," Suika said, "She's jush' been workin' an' goin' ta the market sho her girlfrien' don' have ta…wha'sha word? Hiberna'e."

"Cirno-chan's acting responsible?" I asked.

"Cirno-chan's got a _girlfriend?_" the two mikos asked. The drunken oni smiled, nodded, and passed out.

"Well, if it's not Cirno-chan…then something must be wrong with the heating system," Reimu said. "Still, I'd never have figured…"

"Can we really trust Suika-chan's word when she's in this condition?" Sanae asked. "Besides, something about that story seems a bit off. Cirno-chan _radiates cold_; anyone who would normally hibernate during the winter wouldn't date an ice fairy."

I slapped both of them in the back of the head. "They were _at_ your wedding, remember? You invited 'Team 9' as guests, and the majority of them had dates of their own."

"Suwako-sama, you should know better than to expect us to remember anything from our wedding day not related to each other," Sanae replied.

I rolled my eyes. "Right."

"Besides, everyone with any supernatural features was cloaking them for that day," Reimu pointed out. "So it wouldn't exactly be easy to recognize her even if I had seen her before. Hell, I barely even recognized the Scarlet sisters without their wings."

"Hey, Kana-chan, where are you going?"

"Surely you've noticed that the power isn't working."

"You don't know how to fix it?"

"The _machine_ seems to be working just fine. Which means the problem probably has something to do with the raven."

"Time to investigate, then," Reimu decided, starting off in the direction of the Nuclear Furnace.

"Hey, wait, Reimu!" Sanae cried. "You're not going out in this weather dressed like that, are you?"

"…I guess you're right."

"…It's a wonder anything ever got done around here, with how eager Reimu-chan is to go off investigating whenever there's the slightest hint of an incident," Kanako said, and I agreed.

* * *

><p>Kanako and I went ahead, since we didn't really have a problem with the weather. When we got there, though, Utsuho seemed to be just fine, if perhaps a bit spacier than usual. "Oh, hey, Kanako-sama, Suwako-sama. What's up?"<p>

"That's what we were wondering," Kanako replied. "Your power output has gone way down."

"Has it? Sorry…"

"It doesn't _feel_ like it has," I pointed out.

"Yeah, she's definitely still radioactive," Kanako agreed.

"I guess I just need to pay more attention to my work," Utsuho said. "Although, I don't really like having to do this all the time. It makes having a social life kind of hard."

"…Social life?"

"Indeed. Or at least, those are the rumors," Reimu said. I turned around, not realizing that the girls had arrived.

I tried not to laugh at Reimu's "winter attire". Her clothes were exactly the same loose-fitting ones she always wore, but her arms and legs were wrapped in sarashi as well. "What's so funny?" she asked.

"I think perhaps we'd best take the long way back," Sanae said gently, Reimu not getting the hint.

"Well, it's warm in here," Reimu said, "but we can't stay here for long. So, is this about your love life?"

"'Love life'? No, this has nothing to do with Satori-sama…" Everyone else exchanged glances, wondering what that meant, but as she continued, it became obvious that she was just innocent. "It's just that I thought that my two best friends would get along great with each other as well, but they didn't like each other at all! Yeah, they're both being super-extra-nice to _me_ now so that I don't get mad at them, but…I'm still not happy. And this 'super-extra-nice' thing is really weirding me out!"

None of us said anything for a moment. I figured that one of these "friends" was Rin Kaenbyou, and judging by what Reimu said when she arrived, she knew who the other was. After a bit, we conferenced together.

"So Flan-chan has a rival for Utsuho-chan's love…Utsuho-chan must have a lot of pull over Flandre-chan if this other girl's still alive."

"Wait, _what?_" I asked Reimu. "Did you say _Flandre Scarlet_ is the other girl involved in this?"

"Yeah," Sanae replied, "You know who the other one is?"

"Well, we don't _know_," Kanako said, "but Orin-chan would be the obvious assumption."

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense," Reimu said, "and she's certainly strong enough to at least withstand a few blows until Utsuho-chan intervened."

"There isn't really anything we can _do_, though, is there?" Sanae asked.

"Nope. Normally when I need to deal with a psychological/emotional problem, the satoris would be the first ones I'd call, but seeing as how it's Utsuho-chan, they've obviously already elected to let this play out or else they would've done something already," Reimu replied.

"There's no one else who would be an expert in this field?" I asked.

"The field of love? …I suppose I do know someone who would fancy herself an expert in that field, though I have trouble believing that someone who was so inept at handling her own affairs could really be much of a love expert. Also I'm naturally hesitant to ask her for help with anything, ever."

"Agreed. I'd sooner just take these rumors to Aya-baka and let her unique 'talents' run with it for awhile," Sanae said.

"Please tell me you're joking," Kanako and I both said.

"I think so. Involving Aya in anything is always a bad idea, though I have to admit that it would be kind of fun to see the fallout from letting her spread this one in her gossip column."

"You're horrible," Reimu said affectionately. "But Mari-chan _is_ on fairly good terms with Flan-chan, and I guess I shouldn't really belittle her common sense any more now that she actually has some."

"She does?" Sanae asked, though it sounded more expectant than incredulous.

"Yeah. Alice-chan."

"Gensokyo's in so much better hands now that the problem-solving witch and miko have acquired better halves."

"Hey, I thought _I_ was the better half!" Reimu shot back with mock anger.

"Uh…you _do_ remember that we're still in the Nuclear Furnace, right?"

"Good point. If there's anything you two can do for her right now, go ahead; we'll get going," Reimu said, starting to fly off. Sanae grabbed her.

"We're leaving this way, remember?"

"I still don't understand why you want to take the long way home."

"Just trust me."

* * *

><p>"What are you doing up so late, Sanae-chan?"<p>

"…stupid winter. I can't sleep like this; it's too cold!"

"…In other words, you're not used to sleeping without a warm body next to you."

Sanae rolled her eyes. "Stop patronizing me, Suwa-sama."

"Well, you're too old to crawl into bed with Kana-chan and me, so there isn't really anything I can do for you. Sorry."

"…what are _you_ doing up so late?"

"We heard you still up. We can't help but worry about you, even though you're not a kid anymore."

"…Thanks."

"And Reimu-san can't be any better off than you are, right?"

"Wrong. Suika-chan was passed out on our bed when we got back, so Reimu at least has _someone_ next to her, even though it's just a matter of convenience."

"Ouch. She must be really mad at you if she'd let Suika-chan just stay there."

"I suppose I could've been a little more tactful about breaking it to her that her wardrobe is severely limited…but I still don't feel like I did anything wrong."

"You _did_ subject her to Yamame-san. I take it she showed that same spirit we saw at your wedding?"

"Yeah…she laughed at Reimu's 'winter attire' as well, but only briefly, and then she went into 'designer mode'. …I guess being groped by Yamame-san probably didn't make Reimu too happy."

"'Groped'?"

"…Not really, but Reimu was acting like she was being violated."

"…I never knew Reimu-chan was such a prude."

"I think she's just in a bad mood today. I don't know."

"Well, good luck getting some sleep."

"Thanks."

* * *

><p>CCX: …I thought that went fairly well. Lots of potential for a disaster, but I think I made it work. Ja ne!<p> 


	5. Chapter 4

The Scarlet Devil 2: Scarlet Devil Rhapsody  
>by Cyberchao X<p>

Disclaimer: All characters belong to ZUN except for the ones that don't.

Chapter 4

_My name is Kuroi Yagami. While there are definitely certain things I miss about having a _real_ body, having an artificially created body does have certain advantages. I only have to deal with_ one_ "time of the month", as opposed to the two that my twin sister Rumia has to deal with. Of course, that time we both share just happens to have come around right now…_

"Ah, looks like Yamame-san's busy at the moment; let's come back another time."

"Not at all," replied the arachnidian dressmaker, "and even if I was, the maiden of the Hakurei Shrine would take priority."

I turned around, surprised. I knew I recognized the voice, but to see Reimu in here… "Rumia-chan?" she asked, just before I started cracking up at her outfit. Yamame, to her credit, was a bit more restrained. "Ah, Kuroi-chan. I should have figured it was you by how comfortable you seemed being measured up."

"I didn't realize we were that familiar yet, Reimu-san," I replied, trying to hold back the laughter enough to put up a decent pretense of being offended by how casually she addressed me, "but I suppose I haven't got the right to make anything of it." Absolutely true; like it or not, Reimu's position meant I had to show her some respect. Don't get me wrong; I have no problem with showing respect to those who earn it, but…from what I'd seen of Reimu thus far, she didn't really do much to earn it. "Anyway, I'm just here because it's the time of the month when Rumia's and my powers go on the fritz, so we have the day off, and of course I want to go somewhere dark, so where better than down here? And of course, I can provide a much more willing subject for Yama-san's designs than the usual one."

Yamame let out a little laugh. "Wriggle-chan won't say no to me, but I can tell that she gets fed up with being my model all the time. Kuro-san is not only willing to lend her body to my cause; she provides a different shape for me to work with." That's putting it mildly. Of the seven members of Team 9, Wriggle has both the flattest chest and the curviest hips—in the latter case, by a rather large margin. (This artificial body of mine is still made to be rather young-looking, yet I'm still more or less even with Daiyousei for second-bustiest; only Chen has a chest that is truly adult.)

"Well, you see what the problem is, right?" Sanae said. "Rei-chan seems to have completely forgotten what cold-weather attire is."

"Naenae!"

"It's true. You don't own a damn thing that has attached sleeves." Damnit, I came down here because my powers weren't working, but right now, I'd love nothing more than to just fade into the darkness and watch this unfold. These two would be a sight all by themselves, and adding in Yamame's artistic fervor…this could be quite a show. I decided to try to slip out of sight, hope that they'll forget that I'm here…it's not like I have anywhere else to go.

"So, what brings you down here? Certainly you didn't come all this way just to see me about some new clothes," Yamame asked. "Arms up."

Reimu did as she was asked. "The power on our heating system went out. Kanako-sama said that the problem wasn't with the unit itself, which meant it must have been at the source."

"And the 'source' is a certain bird, right?"

"Exactly," Sanae said.

"So what was the problem?"

"Emotional distress. She's too innocent to even really see it as such—she just sees them as her two 'best friends'—but she seems to be at the center of a love triangle with Orin-san and Scarlet-san. The younger one," Sanae immediately added, realizing that her initial statement could've referred to two different people. (CCX: Sanae seems like she should be another one of those polite ones, who actually does refer to people she's not as familiar with on a last-name basis. I haven't actually used this since the early chapters of _The Scarlet Devil_ with Sakuya. As for Orin, that's her preference, remember? It's not even her proper first name.)

I hadn't actually met this youkai that they were speaking of—the only bird youkai I knew was Mystia. I _had_ met Flandre Scarlet once, at Reimu and Sanae's wedding. I had also met Rin Kaenbyou once; she was among those present when I finally decided to stop running and surrender, back when the seal imprisoning me in Rumia's body was first broken. (CCX: Easy to forget since she didn't actually do anything, but check Chapter 9 of _The Adventures of Team 9 Catering_ or Chapter 18B of _The Scarlet Devil_; Orin was totally part of Team Remilia! For the record, there were three teams working to resolve Kuroi's incident: Team Reimu (Reimu/Sanae/Sakuya/Ran/Chen); Team Remilia (Remilia/Orin/Wriggle/Suika); and Team Mokou (Mokou/Mystia/Daiyousei/unknown number of nameless moon rabbits). Marisa and Alice also tried to resolve the incident, but by the time they showed up, it was already over.) Asking who the bird was, however, would mean reminding the others of my presence, so I kept quiet.

"Huh. Who would've thought such a destructive girl would be so popular. Stop struggling, Reimu-sama"—was this how Yamame always addressed Reimu, or was she intentionally trying to butter up the shrine maiden in order to get her cooperation?—"I can't get an accurate measurement when you're all bound up by sarashi."

"There's really not that much binding going on," Reimu admitted, blushing.

"Well, it's still changing your shape. I can't imagine having that much of your body covered in bindings, regardless…" She trailed off. "I think I might have to apologize to Wriggle-tan for my early methods of courtship." (CCX: And I might have to apologize to my readers for never bothering to write the "extended version" of Chapter 3 of _The Adventures of Team 9 Catering_, because as the incident being referenced here, all the way back in 2009's one-shot "Fireflies", shows, Wriggle and Yamame could get quite kinky at times!) "…though she didn't really seem to mind…" I thought about this for a moment and remembered that Yamame could _create silk_. I'd have to tease Wriggle about this at work tomorrow; she's usually the most level-headed and reasonable member of our group save for Daiyousei, and probably the _last_ one I'd expect to be into bondage.

…Teasing. Seems so hard to believe that it's been only a little over half a year since I became a free woman…or is that still "girl"? Well, I think that I'm grown up. I do have a full-time job, and it's not like I have any parents around telling me what to do. Anyway, when I first became free, the idea of me making friends seemed so alien to me, but now, I've got a nice group of friends, and I've even made friends with some of their girlfriends. I don't really know Lyrica that well, which seems a little odd to me because Mystia's probably my best friend (other than my sister, of course, but she doesn't count because she's kinda also my girlfriend…geez, every time I actually _think_ about the fact that my girlfriend is also my sister, it seems so _wrong_, and yet whenever I'm actually _around_ her, _it just seems so goddamn right_), but Yamame might as well be an honorary member of Team 9 with how often the rest of the team visits her place—well, it's Wriggle's place too now, so I guess that's not so weird—and Lily seems pretty nice, too. She's also kind of an honorary member of Team 9 now. It's…fun. I'm glad I agreed to this. …Rumia's just so sweet. _That's_ why I'm so attracted to her. Physically, well, it's kind of like looking in a mirror, so to say that the attraction is physical would just be narcissistic—not that this would be strange for me, because I _am_ a bit narcissistic. But after years of tormenting her, Rumia opened up to me and forgave me so quickly…

"Yamame-san, do you _have_ to grope me like that?" This brought me out of my thoughts. I suddenly understood why Reimu favored extremely loose-fitting clothing; she looked as though her puberty had lasted all of a month.

"I'm not _groping_ you; that's Sanae-san's job." Turning to Sanae, she said, "You have to give them plenty of attention so they'll grow nice and plump and juicy," talking about breasts as though they were tomatoes or something.

"If that was all it took, we'd have to have _you_ arrested for negligence," Sanae cracked back.

"True, true. I lavish lots of attention on Wriggle-chan's breasts, but they refuse to grow." (CCX: Throughout the writing of this chapter, I've been looking back on the saga, and I think I might be retconning Chapter 3 of _The Adventures of Team 9 Catering _anyway, regarding the size of Wriggle's chest. So yeah, the Phantasm version of that chapter is probably a priority, although I may already be alluding to its contents. And yes, this chapter has outright broken my original intentions, although the decision to keep the _Scarlet Devil_ series—and _The Adventures of Team 9 Catering_, which is inexorably linked to it—K+ was really a meaningless decision. The interconnectedness of all of these fics means you'd have to read M-rated material to get everything, anyway—hell, the penultimate chapter of _TAoT9C_ explicitly references the lemon-scented _Just Another Night_.)

"You do realize that you're doing the same thing to _me_ as you talk about this, right?"

"Eh? Was I?" Goddamnit, it's _so_ hard not to start cracking up right now. But I'm still hoping they'll go back to talking about this love triangle… Yeah, I admit, I love a good rumor. It's just so much fun, listening to gossip…one of the few guilty pleasures that won't get me in trouble. Also, if I find something _really_ juicy, I can supplement my income by selling it to that "reporter", Aya. …Huh. I guess I know _two_ bird youkai, then. But the bird they were describing sounds even less like Aya than it does like Mystia—Aya might actually be the least "innocent" youkai I've met so far.

"Yes, you were," Reimu said tersely, all the while glaring at her wife. Yeah, obviously this trip to Yamame's shop was Sanae's idea.

* * *

><p>They didn't, and it seemed that I had, at the very least, done a good job at putting myself out of their minds—Yamame had completely forgotten that I was still there after the miko duo had left. "Oh, Kuroi-san! Were you here all this time?"<p>

"Yeah. Who's the 'certain bird' you were referring to?"

"Ah, right, you haven't been to the deepest parts of the Former Hell, have you? …Not many people have, actually. It's not really safe down there, even for the most powerful creatures. For starters, Utsuho-san's body is actually radioactive; Rin-san is one of the only ones who are truly immune to it. …Though I guess the Scarlet sisters must not be affected by her too much, either."

"So she's the bird?"

"Yes. Utsuho Reiuji, hell-raven with the power of the sun. One of the many pets of Satori Komeiji."

"Who?"

"You've never met Satori-san, either? …Consider yourself lucky. She's not terribly pleasant to be around; she's a mind-reader and generally very tactless."

"So, is this big news?"

"You're not getting Shamameiru involved in this. Anyway, I don't know how widespread the information was, but I found out from Wriggle-chan about Flandre-san and Utsuho-san being together. Rin-san developing feelings for her as well, though…"

"I…guess I'll keep it under wraps, then. I figure if it's relevant enough to the residents of the Underground, _you'll_ probably tell Wriggle, and I'm not sure if Rumi-tan or Chen can be trusted with a secret. As for Cirno-chan and Mysti-chan…well, I'm a little afraid of what they might do."

"Cirno-chan too? I'd heard she was calming down and becoming somewhat responsible."

"Only where Lily-chan is concerned. She's still perfectly willing to engage in hare-brained schemes as long as she can keep her precious girlfriend out of the chaos."

"That's…kind of cute."

"I know; it's adorable watching Cirno go about life with all of her usual bluster, and then Lily's always there trying to convince her to scale it down and, um, chill out…" I couldn't help but laugh at the idea that an ice fairy needed to "chill out", but for one who is so cold, Cirno is quite hot-blooded.

Before long, Wriggle returned, and I bid them farewell. I found myself unable to keep anything a secret from Rumi, though. Her reaction, of course, was that it really wasn't our business, but it's always sad when someone's going to get their heart broken. "Good thing we don't have to worry about that," I said, and reminded her just how loved she is.

* * *

><p>CCX: That…was definitely an interesting chapter. I really felt like I could've been jumping the shark, having my OC narrate a chapter, frequently making references back to earlier works, not to mention the fact that my self-imposed deadline, "never write fanfiction after midnight", is coming dangerously close. A couple of times I kind of zoned out and lost track of my sentence, and in the final paragraph, I initially wrote "it's always <em>salad<em>" and had to correct myself—perhaps an appropriate typo since that's essentially word salad. Oh G-d, I did it again, initially wrote that last sentence as "_world_ salad". I'm going to wrap this chapter up now before I write something _truly_ stupid. Ja ne!


	6. Chapter 5

The Scarlet Devil 2: Scarlet Devil Rhapsody  
>by Cyberchao X<p>

Disclaimer: All characters belong to ZUN except for the ones that don't.

Chapter 5

_My name is Rinnosuke Morichika, and this was _not_ what I was expecting when my girlfriend asked me if I minded if our date night could become a double date. We met at a wedding, after all, in which I was the best man and she was the maid of honor, so it would be logical to think that maybe we'd be with those close friends of ours. Instead, it turns out that she's working overtime, chaperoning one of the young mistresses of her new place of employment, the Scarlet Devil Mansion…_

"I'm sorry again about this, Rinno-kun," Sara apologized. "Patchouli-san was supposed to be chaperoning this date, but she's taken ill again and Remi-sama and Sakuya-san are…away." "Away" was code for "don't ask"—no one knew exactly _where_ they went but everyone had a pretty good idea of what they did there. "Besides, I thought you said you wanted to check out the Palace of Earth Spirits some time."

"Yes, I did, but it isn't exactly my idea of a romantic place for a date…"

"You _could_ just let me go on my own," Flandre suggested. "I don't really need to be supervised anymore."

"Patchouli-san and Sakuya-san certainly seem to think that, too…but I don't think your sister would be too happy if we allowed that, Flandre-sama. You know how she gets where you're concerned."

"Yeah… We're meeting at Okuu-chan's place, though, so—I don't think oneesama has anything to worry about."

"Except maybe you and Orin-san fighting with each other."

"…You know about that?" Flandre looked displeased."

Sara laughed nervously. "Mei-chan isn't exactly the best at keeping secrets. Don't worry, though, I'm pretty sure Sakuya-san has at least managed to keep this info away from your sister." Flandre's face brightened a little. "Well, we're here." She turned to me as Flandre went off to join Utsuho. "Sometimes I wonder if Remi-sama isn't just deluding herself where Flan-sama's innocence is concerned. She's absolutely right, after all; she never goes anywhere unless it's to see Utsuho-san, but if she did, Remi-sama probably _would_ allow her out unsupervised."

"Overprotective much?"

Before Sara could answer, we were interrupted. "What are you doing here, Kiri—you're not Kirisame. Whoever you are, you should leave. _Now._"

"Rinno-kun's not going anywhere!" Sara shot back.

"And you are? …Ah, I see. I'm sorry to hear that Patchouli isn't feeling well; please send her my regards. I suppose I could allow this man to stay, as long as he's under my constant supervision."

"What's this all about?" I was confused. "Why am I being treated like a criminal?"

"Why do you think? This place is a bit isolated, so the only mind with a comparable curiosity to your own that's come through here is that of your good friend Marisa-chan."

"…Mind?"

"Yes. My apologies; I realize that reading people's minds isn't considered terribly polite but it's somewhat automatic. I see now that you are not a thief, though I question why someone in your line of work would associate so closely with one such as that witch. I may actually have some items that interest you; you're into objects that came from the outside world?" The mind-reader left.

"That was…"

"…The mistress of the Palace of Earth Spirits, Satori Komeiji. This is my first time actually meeting her, too, but she's apparently become friends with Patchouli-san, and that was in part how Flandre-sama and Utsuho-san first met."

"Automatically seeing into the minds of everyone around you must be somewhat trying," I mused.

"Yep. Why do you think I closed my Third Eye up?" I was startled by this new voice, seemingly coming out of nowhere.

"Koishi-san!" Apparently Sara was a bit more familiar with the source of the voice than I was.

"Sorry. Couldn't help overhearing. I was just planning to keep an eye on Orin; make sure she doesn't do anything stupid."

"You mean you were going to use your ability to hide in people's subconscious to spy on the three of them."

"You make it sound so negative, Sara-san." The owner of the voice made herself visible—how did she manage to remain invisible even after speaking, if her ability was supposed to be dependent on evading others' perception rather than actually bending light?—and was revealed to be of the same species as Satori, though indeed her Third Eye was tightly shut. "Is this your boyfriend?"

"Yes, and we'll have none of _your_ brand of mind-reading, either."

"Rinnosuke Morichika," I offered, and the green-haired girl introduced herself as Koishi Komeiji.

"Wasn't planning on it. Besides, you kind of wear your heart on your sleeve anyway."

"I-I do not!" Sara protested, turning red and somewhat proving Koishi's point. It's quite adorable, actually. Marisa says that we remind her of the early days of her courtship with Alice, but most of my early dealings with Alice were in a strictly professional setting so I never actually witnessed her alleged "tsuntsun" side, which more or less vanished completely once she and Marisa started getting serious—although from what I hear it resurfaced in a huge way at Alice's bachelorette party.

"If you say so." Koishi's tone was somewhat playful; her personality starkly contrasted with Satori's.

She made to disappear again, but just then Satori returned. "Ah, Koishi, I didn't realize you were here. …Though I shouldn't be surprised."

"That's the other reason why I was hiding. Neesan can't read my mind when I'm cloaked."

"…_Nee_-san?" I said incredulously.

"You're surprised? I did introduce myself, so it shouldn't have come as a surprise that we're sisters."

"He thought you to be the older one," Satori said simply. Absolutely correct, although now that I thought about it, Koishi's personality was more befitting of the younger sister. "We don't get much in the way of artifacts down here, but occasionally something appears."

"Thank you for your hospitality, Satori-san."

"It was no trouble, Rinnosuke. I apologize for my hostile reaction to you when we first met."

"It's…understandable. When the only 'collector' you've met is Mari-chan, it can kind of turn you off to the entire idea of us."

"How was your, uh…date?" Sara asked.

"Pretty good. Orin-san and I aren't fighting as much, though she's still my rival."

"Ah, that's…good…" Sara wasn't quite sure how to react.

"Don't tell oneesama about that last part, though."

"Of course not. Probably shouldn't tell Meiling, either, right?"

Flandre smiled. There was still something ever so slightly unsettling about her smile, but it seemed more like the smile of a regular girl than that of the legendarily unstable vampiress. "Right."

As we were preparing to leave, a postal fairy arrived. "Hm…we don't usually get mail down here. I wonder what this could be about," Satori mused. She opened the letter. "Ah…" A small smile crossed her face.

"What is it?" Orin asked.

"It's…probably not something we should discuss with guests still here. Although I suspect a couple of these should be making their way to the Scarlet Devil Mansion as well."

"So if we're going to find out anyway, why not say it now?" Flandre asked.

"…It seems that the author is pressed for ideas and is falling back on an old standby for this series."

"…I think you just broke the fourth wall," Koishi said.

"My mistake. What I meant to say was that a couple of our friends are tying the knot this summer." (CCX: It's still at best spring here, if not still winter like it was in the previous chapter.)

"Ah, that's great!" Orin said.

"…Maybe we should've left before having Satori-sama reveal that information," Flandre said dejectedly. "I don't get invited to many of these big shindigs."

"You might be surprised," Utsuho said. "I've got a good feeling about this one."

* * *

><p>CCX: Don't worry; there will still be a few more chapters before we get into that. But what Satori said is absolutely correct. I feel like I am relying too heavily on weddings.<p>

Kogasa: It's not like you didn't foreshadow this.

CCX: …Oh, yeah, I forgot you were here. I kind of strayed from the "conversation" gimmick by the end of _The Scarlet Devil_, and you were pretty much only here for the prologue and Chapter 1, so…yeah.

Kogasa: Well, surprising people is my job, so mission accomplished. Ja ne!

CCX: …I still feel like this chapter was kind of underwhelming.

Kogasa: Don't be too hard on yourself; it was a rewrite, and you've never been much good at those.


	7. Chapter 6

The Scarlet Devil 2: Scarlet Devil Rhapsody  
>by Cyberchao X<p>

Disclaimer: All characters belong to ZUN except for the ones that don't.

Chapter 6

_My name is Michiru Kannazuki, though my friends just call me "Mika". My _girlfriend_ calls me "Kami", no matter how much I tell her not to, but…it's kind of sweet. She said she had something important she wanted to talk to me about…I'm a little worried. "We need to talk" is usually a prelude to a breakup…_

"What's the matter, Nitori-chan? You sounded so scared over the phone."

"Yeah…I guess I am. What I have to say is not going to be easy to believe, and I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to break up with me after I tell you this…but I can't leave you out of the loop any longer. We're… we're becoming too close for me to keep this a secret any longer."

"A… secret. That would make me want to break up with you."

"…Oh, no, it's nothing like what you're probably thinking! It's…probably nothing you ever thought possible."

"Just…just say it." I was starting to tear up. There's someone else, I just know it.

"This place… the shrine where Reimu-san and Sanae-san got married, where we first met; the mountain where we are right now, my home…and pretty much anywhere where we'd been together for an extended period of time, simply out of necessity…it's not the world you know. This is the land of Gensokyo, where things that are no longer believed in end up, like mythical creatures and forgotten gods. Sanae-san ended up coming here because of a lack of faith in the goddesses of her shrine; they moved the entire thing here. _That's_ where she went when she disappeared; not just some other country. And…I'm one of those mythical creatures. That's why I had to arrange for pockets of Gensokyo to cover the mundane world whenever I visited you; if I stayed in your world for too long, I'd start to revert to my monstrous appearance."

"…You're right. I don't believe you. What is this really about?"

"I'm not lying. Come walk with me, and see some of the other species that live here. Maybe get reacquainted with some of the people you met at Sanae-san's wedding, when they're _not_ disguising their less human features. Right now you're in kappa territory, and as you can tell our humanoid forms don't have any visible monstrous features, but we're not too far from where the tengu live."

"You're telling me that kappa and tengu are real." Nitori nodded. "Oh, my…you're not lying."

"No…wait, there shouldn't be tengu here…OH SHIT THAT'S NOT A TENGU! G-Get down, Kami-chan!" Suddenly Nitori's backpack started…I don't even know. It was more science fiction than classic mythology; it was like it was creating a force field or something. But against what?

"So then what is it?"

"Her name's Utsuho Reiuji. She's a hell raven…I don't know what she's doing here."

"And if she finds us?"

"Oh, no, she's really not that nasty. Well, okay, maybe she's kind of nasty, but I'm more worried about the, ahem, 'fallout'." She chuckled a little.

"What's so funny?"

"…That I meant that literally. This shield is to protect us against radiation."

"…What."

"I'm worried. What would she be doing here?"

"You already asked that."

"Having some trouble? Surely you haven't forgotten what's at the top of Youkai Mountain…and what's at the foot of it."

"Gah! Yukari-sama!" A somewhat familiar older woman appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and then we were suddenly at the Hakurei Shrine. "Hmm…yes, she's right, the Nuclear Furnace does open up to the top of Youkai Mountain, because that's where the Moriya Shrine was before Sanae-san hooked up with Reimu-san. I even worked on building it. But at the foot…the Misty Lake? Why would she be heading there?"

"Scarlet Devil Mansion," replied a voice I did recognize. "What brings you here, Nitori-san?"

"Yukari-sama just sort of gapped us in," Nitori replied.

"'Us'? …Kannazuki-san."

"Hello again, Ko—Hakurei-san. So then, there's no denying that this is not the world we came from."

"People of our world aren't supposed to know of Gensokyo. I guess Nitori-san filled you in."

"I didn't believe it until I saw it with my own eyes. Strange creatures like that hell raven…oh, and there's a girl with horns. Wait…she was at your wedding, wasn't she? Without the horns."

"Yeah, that's Suika. She kind of just moved in here awhile back and started mooching off of Rei-chan. She's an oni. And, well…"

"…Yeah. Nitori told me that she's a monster too. She doesn't have any monstrous features, though."

"No, you're right, she doesn't. The closest thing she has to resembling her youkai form is that backpack that looks like a shell."

"That's…not exactly true," Nitori said. "I said we don't have any _visible_ monstrous features—well, ones that would be normally visible. But like I said…I'm a kappa." It had never really occurred to me that I had never seen Nitori not wearing a hat, but it suddenly became obvious as she removed it and leaned down, parting her hair with her hands. Just like the kappa of legend, there was a large hole in the top of her head. (CCX: Again, there is absolutely nothing in canon to contradict this, therefore it shall be so within this story.) "Not so cute now, am I?"

"Hmm… I wonder. On television, whenever a character is mostly human-looking with some non-human feature, said feature is especially sensitive to touch. Would you happen to have this trait as well, Nitori-chan?"

"Eh~! Ah, Kami-chan, stop that! Aaah…" She pulled my finger out of the hole with surprising force. "Yes, it's very sensitive…but not 'ecchi' sensitive. Just…painful sensitive."

"Oh. Sorry."

"Just never do that again." She covered her head again.

"So if I remember the legends correctly, kappa can't lean over or the water in their heads will run out and they'll be powerless. Does that restriction apply to you?" She nodded. "That must make things awfully difficult at times. Like, you know…in bed."

"…What are you saying?"

"That I still love you, Nitori-chan, even if you're not human. And that if you'll still have me, I'm willing to take our relationship to the next level. I…I guess this is why you'd been so distant lately."

"Had I been?"

"It seemed that way. I thought I was just trying to move things along too quickly, but…it seems that you had a good reason for wanting to keep me at a distance. Or at least, you thought you did." I embraced her and gave her a long, deep kiss. "You were wrong."

"Yeah…I guess I was."

"Hey, Sanae-chan! Oh, you have guests, ze… Um. I'll… just… come back later."

"Hey, Marisa-san. Don't feel the need to leave because of me; in case you haven't noticed, my love life is actually finally going well."

"Oh. Yeah, of course it is. I'm so happy for you, Nitori-chan."

"Was there…something between you two?" I asked.

"Like a relationship? No, I've never been more than a friend to Marisa-san…"

"Then that awkwardness…"

"…Yeah. I kind of had a crush on her for awhile, but… that's all in the past. I have you now, Kami-chan."

"Besides, I'm married."

"That too."

"Dare I ask…?"

"She's just an ordinary human magician. Like I said, there are plenty of humans here too. Perhaps I should take you on a tour…the natural way."

"As opposed to what?"

"As opposed to Yukari-sama whisking us away again, wherever she may be."

"You still haven't answered my question, you know."

"Which one?"

"About how that hole is going to affect our…sex life."

Nitori smiled. "You'll find out."

* * *

><p>"Now, the first area of interest I should show you, providing I'm allowed to actually find it, should probably be the Human Village."<p>

"_Allowed_ to find it?" I asked.

"Gensokyo has some people with very improbable abilities. One of them guards the Human Village, protecting it from youkai by making it literally disappear from history whenever they get too close."

"…from _history?_"

"Yes. But right now…I have no idea where we are. We're either hopelessly lost, or we're already there."

"Well, there are definitely a lot of people around…and they all look like they're human, so…I think it's the latter." For some reason this made Nitori rather nervous. "Calm down, Nitori-chan. This place is _safe_, right?"

"Not as safe as it usually is," someone replied. "We've still got enough strong fighters here that we can ward off some weaker demons if they were to attack, but if something strong were to decide to attack us…"

"Did something happen to Keine-sensei?" Nitori asked. (CCX: Remember, the title "sensei" is given to professionals. Even though Nitori isn't actually one of Keine's students, she still warrants the title from her out of respect.)

"Uh… No, nothing. Ms. Keine is still in perfect health."

"That's good to hear." Once we were out of earshot of any other humans—did I really just specify that? I'm adapting to this far too well—Nitori told me, "That's the second time today where I've felt like I'm out of the loop somehow. I'm supposed to be guiding you, but I can barely guide myself."

"What was the first?"

"When we encountered Utsuho-san. Sanae-san said that she was probably headed for the Scarlet Devil Mansion, but I have no idea why that would be so and she didn't give me any extra explanation."

"It's a mansion, right? So that would make it someone's residence. She's probably visiting someone there."

"Maybe. And if Sanae-san felt that no explanation was needed, it's probably something that's already been spread around. Old news." Was that a note of disdain in my sweet Nitori's voice? I'd never heard her get condescending before; she was usually a regular shrinking violet.

"Something wrong?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"I've never heard you talk like that. It sounded almost, I don't know, derisive."

"Yeah, well, we don't really read the local 'newspapers', if you can call them that."

"They're more like tabloids, are they? And who do you mean by 'we'?"

"What's a tabloid? And I mean the kappa. I mentioned before that you're unlikely to see a tengu in kappa territory; the reverse is also true. We don't get along. Sorry if I let my natural racial prejudices come out, Kami-chan."

"That's…fine." I guess the tengu controlled the local media. "A tabloid is something that purports to be a newspaper, but most of the stories are little more than gossip at best. Some of them deal in outright fiction, stuff that…" I stopped myself before saying "couldn't possibly be true", because a lot of those things were very much true here, "could only have been witnessed by someone who knew how to get to Gensokyo."

"Yeah, that sounds like the Bunbunmaru."

"There aren't _actually_ any half-man, half-bat creatures here, are there? One of the American tabloids had this fixation with one of them."

"You mean vampires?"

"No, not vampires. Wait, there are vampires here?"

"Yeah, the Scarlet sisters. They were at the wedding, though for obvious reasons their wings were concealed."

"…Wait, 'Scarlet'? Like that mansion?"

"Yeah. Now this makes even less sense."

"Why is that?"

"Utsuho-san is radioactive because she literally _ate a sun god_. Her powers would be deadly to vampires."

"Eh, don't worry about it. Is there any place around here we can go for a bite to eat, maybe something to drink?"

"How should I know? I've never been here, either. But I think this is where the woman who was working the reception is from, so there should be something." We searched around until we found a place called "Koko's". I didn't recognize the man who was behind the bar, but I did recognize one of the patrons. (CCX: Yes, Koharu has other employees. I could've sworn I'd given a name to one of them, but I couldn't find it anywhere.) "Keine-sensei…so this is what they meant when they said you were still in good health when I asked if something had happened to you."

"Huh? Nitori-san? You shouldn't be here…"

"Had to show my girlfriend around Gensokyo. This was the first place on our list, since she's a human."

"Your girlfriend is from the other world?"

"Yeah. We met at Reimu-san and Sanae-san's—"

"Don't say it!" Ah, now _there's_ the woman in question. "Sorry to interrupt you, but as you've no doubt noticed, Keine-chan's kind of been in a funk lately, and I think you were about to say something that would've made things worse."

"…If you say so."

* * *

><p>Next up we ended up at a place that Nitori called the Forest of Magic. "You were asking some questions earlier about how things ended up in Gensokyo? If there's anyone who can answer them—and <em>will<em>, since Yukari-sama might know more but she kind of just does whatever she wants—it's Rinnosuke-san." She led me into a building labeled "Kourindou".

"Ah…a lot of this stuff looks like it came from my world!"

"Yukari-sama's latest 'spiriting away' victim?"

"I wouldn't exactly use the word 'victim', though that is indeed how Kami-chan got here. Rinnosuke Morichika, I'd like to introduce you to my girlfriend, Michiru Kannazuki. She's new here."

"I'm not actually a permanent resident," I said. "_Yet._ Are you saying you want me to be?"

"Uh… kinda?" She blushed, and I gave her a peck on the cheek. She's so cute… though it sounds like she was suggesting that if she stayed in my world for too long she'd start to look like the ugly kappa of legend? I can't picture my adorable girlfriend like that, even if she does have a hole in the top of her head… and a very _enchanting_ fondness for cucumbers. That was certainly something I'll never forget. In retrospect, that was another sign that could've pointed me towards the truth. There certainly had been enough clues that if I was looking at Nitori with an eye towards conspiracy, I probably would've been able to deduce that she was actually a kappa—but _why_ would I even consider something like that about my new girlfriend? I _wasn't_ a person who believed in the supernatural, and my self-esteem _isn't_ so low that I'd automatically think that I couldn't possibly end up with a girl this great and therefore there must be something suspicious about her. Besides, those prototypical fantasy girlfriends are usually more outgoing, not like my adorably shy little Nitori-chan.

"Well, we'll see if we can make that possible. It's not exactly easy to just uproot yourself from your prior life, though."

"O-of course not. Forget I said anything."

"I can't do that, Nitori-chan. I love you, and I want to be with you."

"R-really?"

"Really."

We passed two other people whom I vaguely remembered seeing at that wedding as we exited Kourindou. "Ah, welcome! I'm not used to seeing you come here in person…"

* * *

><p>"Normally I wouldn't have taken you through the Former Hell if I wanted to show you the Nuclear Furnace…but then again, normally I wouldn't have shown you the Nuclear Furnace. But since it's apparently empty right now and I'd rather finish our tour with Youkai Mountain and possibly even the Misty Lake, this is the best route to go through for now."<p>

"'Former Hell'? This place doesn't look so bad. Is that a store? It seems so out of place here."

"It gets more dangerous the deeper you go; I'm still wondering if this is a mistake. And there's no need for us to stop at this shop since," Nitori couldn't help but grin, "there's apparently a branch in your world as well."

"Um…the photographer at the wedding where we met, was she one of the natives?"

"…Yes."

"Oh. I'm guessing by your tone of voice that she was a tengu. I-I'm sorry, then; had I known, I wouldn't have bought those pictures. But I only bring this up because I figure that when you say that there's a branch in our world as well you're referring to that woman who was taking orders for dresses. Obviously I hadn't realized, well, I didn't even know about this world until today so of course I didn't realize that she was from here, but I know that she has been selling dresses and such in my world since then. …Would it be wrong of me to ask what her real form is?"

"Not at all, though based on her profession you might be able to guess it yourself."

"A demon that makes dresses? I'm not sure if I follow."

"Tsukigomo. Spider youkai. She makes her own silk for her creations."

"That's… I don't know what to say. The idea of someone who basically looks human, at least to me, creating silk like _that_, seems absolutely disgusting, but… I guess that's just how things are around here."

"Yeah. Watch your step; like I said, this place can be treacherous."

* * *

><p>"You actually work down here?"<p>

"Sometimes, yeah. Why?"

"It's kind of…hot, isn't it? Don't you need to stay cool and, um, hydrated?"

"Yeah, well, I just have to make sure to bring plenty of water. Wait, what are you doing?"

"I told you. It's too hot. I'm not dressed for these kind of conditions. Can I store these in your backpack?"

"Yeah I'm suddenly feeling quite warm too let's hurry to someplace cooler," Nitori said quickly, turning bright red and nodding quickly in response to my question.

"Am I showing too much skin for you? If this bothers you, I can't imagine how you're going to deal with having sex with me."

"Th-th-that's different. Nobody's actually _here_ right now, but we're still in a public place… Anyway, we're here, so I guess we can get out of here pretty quickly now."

"…How do you suppose that?" I looked up at a very distant point of light. Did this go all the way to the peak of the mountain?

"It's a straight path to the former site of the Moriya Shrine from here. Come on…" She suddenly put her hand to her face. "I'm such an idiot… Well, it could've been worse. I could've tried taking you here _from_ the top."

"Okay, let's just be clear: You're saying that the path from here to Youkai Mountain is _straight up?_"

"Yeah…it's not really an issue because most native Gensokyans, even those without wings, can fly. Most demon wings are largely ornamental. Marisa-san's broomstick is just for show, too." I had noticed that the "ordinary human magician" I'd met earlier looked very much like a stereotypical witch, in stark contrast with the stereotype-defying people I'd been meeting all day. "…Wait, that's it!" Nitori removed her ever-present backpack—her "shell", as it were. "I was worried that I'd have to try to carry you—not that I'd mind; I'm just not sure if I'm _capable_ of flying with two people. But I designed a jetpack into here! I didn't really think I'd ever need one, but it was a thing I could do so I did it because it was fun."

"You designed a jetpack?" Her backpack was now on my back and she was fiddling with it.

"Yep. If you encounter anything that looks more technological than magical but is still undeniably Gensokyan in origin, it was probably made by a kappa. Don't worry; I tested it out, and I'm pretty sure it works. But I'll hold your hand the whole time just in case."

"Are you sure you don't want me to go ahead of you so you can catch me if I fall?" I teased.

"No that will be perfectly fine I think I'd rather be right beside you!"

"Of course you would."

Our tour ended with Youkai Mountain, ending up at the river which Nitori called home. "As to your earlier question, kappa are amphibious, so we usually sleep underwater. But we don't really have to be fully submerged, as long as we don't go empty. Um…"

* * *

><p>CCX: Well, that was…enlightening. I'd all but forgotten that unlike the first <em>The Scarlet Devil<em> and _The Adventures of Team 9 Catering,_ this story was rated T to begin with so I really don't have to hold back too much. In case you'd forgotten, Michiru was first mentioned by name just under a year ago, in Chapter 17 of _The Adventures of Team 9 Catering_, and then completely failed to make another appearance until now. Also, I find it amusing to see how the webcomics and such that I read end up influencing my writing; I'm pretty sure that the "talk really fast, kind of loud, and with no punctuation when you're flustered" thing was stolen from Jeph Jacques. Ja ne!


	8. Chapter 7

The Scarlet Devil 2: Scarlet Devil Rhapsody  
>by Cyberchao X<p>

Disclaimer: You know the deal…

Chapter 7

_My name is Reisen Udongein Inaba, moon rabbit…though I might as well be a gopher with the way I'm treated. Eientei's busier than ever these days, what with the preparations for the mistress's upcoming wedding…and I barely have any time to myself._

"Teisen! Quit screwing like, well, rabbits, and get out here!" Eirin called.

I sighed. I hated Kaguya's nickname for the two of us—though I suppose it was better than her just calling all of us "Inaba"—and now it seemed even Eirin had started using it. "As hard as it may be to believe, we don't actually spend _all_ of our free time together having sex. It only seems that way because we _have so little free time._"

Eirin was surprised that I'd been able to comply so quickly, wondering if she'd made a mistake. She hadn't really, but we were only just getting started and therefore hadn't gotten undressed yet. "Sorry about that, then. I need you to look over these seating charts; you'd probably know better than I would if there's anything wrong with them."

"Looks fine to me. What do you think, Tewi-chan? You probably get out more than I do."

"…You really trust her to tell you the truth?" Eirin asked.

"…Yes," I lied.

"I thought you'd gotten past that stage of gullibility," Tewi said.

"Okay, I was just being polite when I said yes, because you could hear us. What I'd have actually said had it just been Eirin-sama and me was 'I believe that I'll better know how to accurately handle this after hearing her input.'"

"So…do the exact opposite of everything I tell you to do?" Tewi asked with her usual manic grin.

"Hardly. I know that you take advantage of your reputation as a liar and occasionally tell truths to deceive those expecting lies. And I know you well enough to be able to tell which are which."

Tewi kissed me. "That's what I like to hear."

"No it isn't. You _hate_ when people can see through your deceptions."

"But I love you. So I like seeing you get wiser."

"And here I thought you fell in love with me _because_ I was an easy mark."

"Mostly I just fell in lust with you, and the actual love part came later."

"Focus, you two," Eirin interjected.

* * *

><p>"Off from work today?" I asked.<p>

"Nope," replied Wriggle Nightbug. "Yama-chan's been doing such good business that she can't handle it all on her own, whereas Team 9 Catering usually had more workers than jobs anyway, so I quit, and I'm working here now."

"I told her it might be a conflict of interest, seeing as how she's living with her boss now, but she told me to just think of it as a 'family business' even though at the moment we have no intentions of ever formally getting married," Yamame said.

"Eh, it's just that; a _formality_. We're a couple in every meaningful way, right?" Wriggle said somewhat flirtatiously, nibbling at Yamame's lower lip. Tewi, you could learn a thing or two from this girl.

"Yes, I would certainly say that we are 'bound together'." A slightly evil grin crossed Yamame's face, and the look of pleasure on Wriggle's…I take it back. Any lessons on romance from these two would likely end up with me tied up, naked, and helpless…even more frequently.

"Ah, now there's an idea…"

"No," I said, picking Tewi up by her ears.

"Ow! Reisen!" She thrashed about and kicked my shins, but I refused to let her go.

"You agreed not to tie me up anymore."

"…Okay." I put her down.

"Well, let's see how the dresses fit," Yamame said, obviously wanting to steer the conversation elsewhere before Wriggle could express her feelings about my obvious distaste for bondage. "Princess, let's get started on you first."

"You're not going to have my bridesmaids try on their dresses while we're working on me? I figure my dress will probably take the longest."

"Exactly why I wanted to get it taken care of first."

"I'd be more than happy to strip Rei-chan down," Tewi said.

"Yes, we know," Eirin said dryly. "But now's not the time or place for that."

I was amazed when I saw what Kaguya's dress looked like. In typical fashion, she wanted to try something different, but she also relented somewhat to the pressure from those around her to go with something more traditional. The result was a…I wasn't even sure whether to call it a dress or a kimono, because it sort of fused elements of traditional western- and eastern-style bridalwear. It was primarily white, and had lacy trim, but was still unmistakably Japanese. This was, of course, necessary given what the "groom" would be wearing. Even though Kaguya-hime had somewhat intimated her plans to Mokou as they were preparing for Reimu and Sanae's wedding, saying that "maybe next time [Mokou] won't have to worry about wearing a skirt", and even though Mokou _regularly_ wore pants, she refused to wear a tuxedo as a western groom would, and so she would be in a traditional (male) wedding kimono.

It was good for me to be staring at the dress, because it meant I wouldn't be staring at my lady's naked body. Don't get me wrong; I'm not in love with my mistress or anything like that, though there are many in Gensokyo who seem to have very healthy relationships with those whom they are bound to serve (or _were_ bound to serve, in the case of Sakuya Izayoi, though she continues to serve the Scarlet sisters anyway). I'm just…

…Okay, let's not mince words. I'm actually almost as big a pervert as Tewi-chan. I just hide it well. It helps that more often than not I'm the one _providing_ the fanservice, usually as a result of Tewi's more overt perversion. Not that my displeasure with her antics is entirely feigned, mind you. It's kind of hard to be a covert pervert when every eye in the room is trained on _you_. Didn't mean I wasn't looking forward to what would happen once Kaguya was dressed—and how magnificent it was.

I picked Tewi up off the ground again, this time not by her ears but by her sleeves, and watched as she wriggled free of her dress, pulling my skirt to the ground with her as she dropped down. We'd done this before, and before long we were already getting into the throes of passion before being reminded that we were undressing in order to try on our bridesmaids' gowns, not so we could have sex. "Although I wouldn't mind if you and Yama-chan were to compare notes," Wriggle told Tewi, earning herself a slap in the head from her lover.

"Well, Rei-chan doesn't let me tie her up anymore, so I don't think she'd approve. And I probably wouldn't be able to give Yamame-san any pointers, since I'm so out of practice."

"And because your ropes couldn't possibly be as effective anyway," Yamame said.

"Wanna bet?"

"N-no…Yama-chan's right. Forget I said anything," Wriggle said. I shuddered as I remembered that the same talents that allowed Yamame to be such an expert seamstress also would give her encounters with Wriggle a distinctive predator/prey dynamic. Yet if anything, it sounded as though Wriggle enjoyed this even more than Yamame did.

Tewi noticed my shudder. "Looking nice, Rei-chan. Shame we can't see more of your breasts, though."

"Well, bridesmaids' gowns have to be uniform. If we display my chest, we'd have to display your tiny chest as well."

"…I guess you're right. I'll be sure to have you out of yours soon enough anyway."

"Tewi!" Eirin yelled.

I just laughed. "I'm sure you will, sweetie."

* * *

><p>CCX: Kind of short, but I promise that this won't be all…<p> 


	9. Chapter 8

The Scarlet Devil 2: Scarlet Devil Rhapsody  
>by Cyberchao X<p>

Disclaimer: The same as always

Chapter 8

_My name is Keine Kamishirasawa, mostly human, dutiful best friend in spite of myself. Of course when Mokou asked me to be her maid of honor, I couldn't refuse. I could never refuse her…but how am I supposed to be her support system when my own feelings would benefit from this whole thing blowing up?_

"I think I'm going to go insane."

"Please don't," I said, "we love you and value your sanity." Why did I say "we"? Because I couldn't just come out and say it. It's not like Mokou would've even noticed in her current state.

"That's the type of thing I'd expect Kaguya-chan to say. I just want this to happen already. I can't remember the last time I was so acutely aware of time passing. When you're immortal, the days all blur together…but I can remember every _hour_ since she proposed to me."

"Even the ones when you're sleeping?"

"I really don't need sarcasm at the moment. You're supposed to be the one talking me down and telling me everything's going to be alright."

"It sounds like you have your doubts."

"Doubts? No. But that doesn't make me any less nervous. It's normally a girl's father's job to walk her down the aisle, but it's been centuries since I had one of those. I'm sure he's turning in his grave over this. Not just because I'm marrying another woman, even though homosexuality wasn't really a thing back then, or at least not something that anyone actually acknowledged, but of all women, _her_."

"Yeah, well, that's why you're immortal in the first place. You swore revenge on her for what she did to your father, and…"

"…and it turned out that the reason she turned away all of her male suitors was because she just wasn't interested in men."

"Yeah, technically you're the groom in this wedding…"

"I know. I don't feel like a groom. Why does one of us have to be designated the groom? I'm not objecting to it being me, if one of us has to be one, because Kaguya-chan is definitely more feminine than I am, but…I want to be a bride, too." She pouted. She looked so cute.

"You really are worrying too much. I don't _want_ to be the one talking you down. I…" I sighed. "I just want you to be happy."

"I am happy. Or at least, I will be. I just want this thing to happen already!"

* * *

><p>"I am seriously tempted to just eat the remaining time until the wedding next time the full moon comes around."<p>

"I thought you didn't want this to happen," Koharu said, as Junichi served me. (CCX: Yeah, I found it. Turns out the reason I couldn't find his name two chapters ago is because the only time it was ever previously mentioned was in Interlude ➈ of _The Scarlet Devil_.)

"Mokou-chan's just going to make me more miserable until this is finally over. Her anticipation is killing us both."

"Well, you probably shouldn't do it. There could be consequences if you mess with history."

"Oh, I know. I'm not actually going to do it. But it's tempting."

* * *

><p>CCX: This is too short to be a chapter on its own, so let's continue with a new narrator.<p>

* * *

><p><em>My name is Watatsuki no Toyohime, and I'm a wedding crasher.<em>

"Toyohime, if you're not going to take this seriously, you should let me do the narration."

_My name is Watatsuki no Yorihime, and—_

_Not gonna happen. Neither one of you belong here, and while you may have defeated me on the moon, that was _your_ territory. Now we're on my turf._

"Were that that were actually true," Sanae said, "but unlike our and Marisa and Alice's weddings, this wedding's being held at the House of Eternity."

"Well, yeah, obviously it'd be even more lopsided at the Hakurei Shrine, but we're still in Gensokyo."

"Would all of you please stop blurring the fourth wall?!" the author asked exasperatedly.

"Given that you just addressed us directly, you're no better," I reminded him. "Anyway, this was supposed to be a dramatic scene, and now it's completely ruined. I was going to ask Yukari-sama what she could possibly have to gain from this, and get no response, and then someone would tell me that Yukari-sama's not here and she won't answer me."

"Yeah. I was going to say that Chen's got the entire week off, and we're only halfway through," Mystia said.

"Why are you even at this event?"

"Well, it's not like I live that far away from Eientei. I _was_ the Stage 2 boss of _Imperishable Night_, after all."

"Wriggle-chan's not here, though."

"Not as close."

"Well, I think this entire thing's been derailed. Basically, the message was that I'm on my own this time, so…"

* * *

><p>CCX: …Yeah, let's just end this chapter.<p> 


	10. Chapter 9

The Scarlet Devil 2: Scarlet Devil Rhapsody  
>by Cyberchao X<p>

Chapter 9

Kogasa: The majority of characters in this story belong to ZUN. Most others are the property of the author.

_My name is Utsuho Reiuji, nuclear-powered hell raven, and—_

_**Shut up. You don't have permission to speak.**_

Kogasa: The narrator of _this_ chapter, however, falls into neither category.

_**My name is Yasora Kojiwa, yatagarasu of the sun. I've been sealed in the body of this idiot raven for too long, but now the seal is broken, and I'm going to use this body to the fullest. It's far too dark here right now…I think it should be a bit **_**BRIGHTER!**

"Mokou-chan? I know you're nervous, but could you please turn down the heat?"

"It's not me," the one called Mokou replied. "Even I'm feeling this. And I don't glow like that."

"Yeah, I thought it seemed brighter. Extremely bright. Like the exact opposite of what happened when Kuroi-chan showed up." This one was the Hakurei miko. Her presence obviously complicated things, because if she dies, this whole place collapses. Let's hope some other people collapse first; I need to get my strength up.

…Ah, there we go. They seem pretty strong. Stronger than some of the ones still standing, actually… Well, don't look a gift horse in the mouth, right?

"Okuu, if you can still hear me, you have to fight as hard as you can, okay?" That annoying mind-reader. Of course _she'd _know that I'd taken over her pet bird's body. "If not for yourself, or for me, then for _her_."

"Satori-sama?"

"It's the yatagarasu. She must've awakened somehow."

"That would explain why the Scarlets are already down. And why I feel like this…" A human, blonde. Doesn't seem to have much power to consume, so she's probably some sort of magician. I hate magicians; I can't consume magic, so the net gain from fighting them is minimal at best, if not negative.

The world seemed to shift without me noticing, and suddenly I felt a number of jagged objects sticking into the bird's body. "Sorry about this…but even if your body is that of the one Lady Flandre loves, anyone who would hurt my mistresses will have to answer to me." Another human. Looks like a very strong one indeed. Protective of those two winged lasses who fell so quickly. I definitely need to make consuming them a priority; that strength would help me immensely.

"**So, you're the keeper of those tasty morsels?"** My terminology gave her the slightest hesitation, which was all I needed to force her out of the way. (CCX: As for why the SDM crew is there, it actually all goes back to the chapter of _The Scarlet Devil_ where the Flandre/Utsuho angle was first introduced. Flandre, Patchouli, and Sakuya were all on the guest list; Remilia's there as Sakuya's date.) The blonde one looks especially tasty…

"_Don't… you… dare."_

"_**Please, like there's anything you can do about it. What happened to you, Reiuji Utsuho? Where's that coldhearted monster that consumed **_**me**_**?"**_

"_Th-there are… others… look, see how they fall to your power."_ She's trying to appeal to my ego. I didn't think she was that clever. But it won't work…

…Wait, is she trying to use reverse psychology on me? Make me think that she wants me to gain energy so that I do the exact opposite? Wait, that power…it's withering…

I suddenly found my cannon pointed at my own head. Her cannon pointed at her head. I lost focus, and she regained control, but would she really cripple herself to stop me? "Please…get out of here, now!"

"**Stupid bird; you're not going to take control back."**

"_Takes one to know one."_

"Damnit, those stupid moon sisters left…I was hoping they'd at least stick around and help out with this mess, but of course, it's not their problem…"

"**Relying on others to fight your battles?"**

"Hardly. Although, there are times when it can be of use…" She leapt to the side, and I got hit from behind by a giant laser. I turned around. The magician I'd identified earlier. Funny, she shouldn't have still been standing…

She _wasn't_. Not on her own power, anyway. **"Insidious. A spell that can control others? I didn't think I'd be fighting such villains."**

"Don't you dare talk about my wife that way. My body may be too weak to act on its own at the moment, but unlike the body you're in, my mind is still my own!"

"**I don't believe you. All of your movements, even those of your mouth, are being input by your puppetmaster at the moment. So, why fight through another, puppet girl?"**

She smiled at me. "Marisa's all about pure power. And the spell card rules are still in place, so I can't go all out."

"Can't, or don't want to?" asked another miko, this one with green hair.

"A little of both. Besides, I'm not going to have many opportunities to use this spell. Like Marisa said, it doesn't dominate the will of the puppet, so if I used it on anything with a mind of its own, it'd easily be broken by anyone who didn't want to submit to my control."

"…Used it on…don't tell me that's your standard puppet control?"

"Well, I modified it a bit to work on living creatures as well as automatons, but yeah, pretty much. How are _you_ still standing, anyway, Sanae-chan? You're a human too, last I checked."

"Divine protection. And I was never an ordinary human like your husband, anyway." 'Husband', she says. There's nothing but women as far as the eye can see. Well, some of the more androgynous rabbits are probably male, but they're just filler. I've consumed about 25 of them and have barely gained any energy from it. Where'd those two chicks with the wings go? They looked tasty, especially that blonde one. Mm, I can just picture tasting that succulent essence…

…I feel like that train of thought was getting derailed. Draining one's essence is generally a far cleaner process than what was just going through my mind. Enjoyable for _me_, sure, but not for my victim… I'm not some vampire.

_Vampire._ Of course. That would explain why those two young things—young-_looking_ things—were among the first to fall despite seeming among the most powerful beings present. Their very nature is to be repelled by me… and by her. My "host". Yet the time ninja maid's words, my host's reactions, and my own inexplicable preoccupation with her would suggest that Utsuho and this blonde vampire, "Flandre", are very much in love. It makes no sense.

"Maybe not to you."

"**Shut up, you stupid satori."**

"I see Okuu's been fighting back in her own way. Seems that her feelings for Flandre-san have transferred over to you, Kojiwa."

"Who?"

"I told you, the yatagarasu. Yasora Kojiwa."

"Is that so? Now there's a name I haven't heard in awhile…I came here with the intent of 'fixing' whoever was messing with the darkness, but to run into you…"

"…**Who are you?"**

"Oh, no one you'd know personally. But let's just say that I've never been so glad to be on the side of the 'light'."

"**Heh heh…a youkai of darkness on the side of the light? How amusing…"**

"That was the idea."

"**Your words betray your true feelings, little one. You're obviously glad to have 'friends' because you'd be too afraid to fight me on your own."**

"But I'm not alone. Like you said, I have friends now. Night Sign |Onyx Dream|!"

"**Is that all? |Cataclysmic Variable Star|!"**

She recovered more quickly than I expected. "Not bad. I remember those all too well. In fact, those suns of yours were a major inspiration of mine! Darkness Sign |Midnight Oil|!"

"Moon Sign |Moonlight Ray|!"

"Damnit, Rumi-tan, I thought I told you to let me handle this!"

"I'm sorry, onee-chan, I just couldn't! I was worried you'd get hurt…"

"You know full well that if there's anything out there that could hurt me, you wouldn't stand a chance against it. And _she_…is definitely someone who can hurt us."

"**Well, well, well, looks like you have a weak point too."**

"Focus on your _real_ opponents." Those damn mikos again. "Though it sounds as though Yagami-san has a more personal grudge against you."

"…**Yagami, eh? Well, that would explain why in the end I ended up tracking **_**her**_** down when she was the one who had usually initiated our battles. I'm sure she'd be happy to see that her daughters ended up following in her footsteps!"**

"|End of Imperishable Night -Rising World-|!"  
>"|Imperishable Shooting|!"<p>

…I wonder what I did to piss _those_ two off so much… that was probably the most anger of all of these attacks so far.

"Your outburst interrupted their _wedding_." The satori paused for a moment. "Dumbass."

"I'm not used to hearing such language from you, Satori-sama." The cat.

"So now what? Even if she's stopped actively attacking us, she's still leaking radiation all over the place…and I still have no idea how to seal her away again. I get the feeling that Yukari-sama knew this was going to happen and chose to leave because of it."

"I wish I could help you, Reimu, but I don't know the details behind her sealing, either, other than that it must've occurred nearly instantaneously."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because I don't know the details behind her sealing. If _she_ knew the details, I'd be able to find them."

"Not even _your_ mind-reading is flawless, Satori-san. _I_ was able to defeat you, after all."

"_You_ have far more mental discipline than she does. Also she's in no condition to fight it right now." Wait, it can be blocked?

"You're not in the best condition yourself at the moment, Hakurei-san. Though your spiritual powers are immense, you are still only human, and so you should leave this matter to those best equipped to handle it and allow me to treat you."

"But Eirin, what about my wedding?"

"You'll have your wedding, Hime. Be patient. This attack did a lot of damage."

"…Okay."

* * *

><p>CCX: The first-person format is getting more and more challenging. This chapter, I had to have Yasora not get completely knocked out because she was the narrator and the chapter wasn't over, and next chapter I'll probably want to give closure to both the re-sealing of Yasora and the recovery of the Scarlet sisters, which are unlikely to both be witnessed by any one individual. Perhaps all of the work I've done on <em>Lonely No More<em>, which juggles multiple plotlines, has spoiled me.

I definitely wanted to have Kuroi fight Yasora, as a blatant counterpoint to the character that she's loosely based on being the engineer behind Yasora's release in her original work. Yasora, as you probably know, is from the webcomic _Touhou Nekokayou_, which is among the many works that uses the name "Rumia Yagami" for the so-called "EX-Rumia", which I instead decided to make a completely new character, Kuroi. But originally, the motivation was just that Yasora was making things bright, at nighttime no less, and it pissed Kuroi off. Which kind of _was_ Kuroi's motivation for showing up, but then there was all of this other stuff that I just made up on the spot, which seems maybe a little out of character but then again it's obvious that Kuroi really was quite afraid. And for the record, Yasora wasn't _that_ far off-base about Kuroi being a chip off the old block. Ja ne!


	11. Chapter 10

The Scarlet Devil 2: Scarlet Devil Rhapsody  
>by Cyberchao X<p>

Chapter 10

Disclaimer: All characters property of someone else, in most cases ZUN.

_My name is Flandre Scarlet, and I feel…sick. What happened?_

"…So shameless, Sakuya-chan…," I said weakly, seeing my sister being _intensely_ cared for by our maid. Ex-maid, actually, though she chooses to continue to do all of the duties of a maid.

"Ah, Lady Flandre, you're awake…"

"I've never felt like this before. What happened to me and Oneesama?"

"The sun. Or rather, a youkai of the sun."

"…Okuu…"

"You knew about the source of her powers, right? That she consumed a youkai of the sun? It started wreaking havoc everywhere, and of course, you two were the first to fall." Sakuya refused to let go of my sister, holding her close.

"O-Okuu?" My eyes started to water. Would Okuu be okay? Is she even alive?

"She tried to take back control. She did everything she could to keep Kojiwa—the yatagarasu—away long enough for us to escape."

"…I see. I…want to be alone." I tried to get up and walk out of the room, only to fall down. Sakuya rushed over to me.

"I'm sorry, I feel like I may have given you the wrong idea… As far as I know, she's fine."

"…Oh. Okay… C-can you help me back into bed, then? You'd probably rather be with oneesama…" I was crying. Totally bawling. Utsuho…

* * *

><p>CCX: Yeah, going to need multiple narrators because that last part takes place before these next parts, but anything else that Flan would be narrating takes place after them.<p>

* * *

><p><em>My name is Yukari Yakumo, and for the first time in my life, I'm actually experiencing a little bit of fear. I've seen Reimu Hakurei angry before. I've seen her furious before. But I've never <em>felt_ this type of murderous rage emanating from her very body. Isn't she overreacting just a bit? This shouldn't have been a huge challenge for her…_

"You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?!" Reimu yelled.

"You mean the little interruption at the wedding? I didn't think it was a big deal."

"'Not a big deal'? It's a _huge_ deal! We're still dealing with the fallout, no pun intended, and the happy couple is rapidly becoming _un_happy as their wedding continues to be postponed."

"…Aren't you overreacting a bit?" Reimu's spiritual powers are quite strong, so I was completely caught off guard when she took to _physically_ harassing me. "If this disruption is still a problem for you, you need a lot more seasoning."

"Is that so? Whatever. Do you know anything about how to reseal her? Orin and the immortal ones have been keeping her under strict watch, but there's only so much that can be done."

"…'_Her'_? So then this _isn't_ about the Watatsuki sisters showing up to crash the party?"

"You honestly thought that those two were the reason I was so mad?"

"Well, you _did_ accuse me of knowing that it was coming, and of course, I took advantage of those lunatics' absence to stage another raid. Consider this a belated wedding present."

"No doubt this is some priceless Lunarian artifact," Reimu replied.

"But of course."

"Anyway, the two 'lunatics' turned tail and ran as soon as Yasora showed up."

"…What."

"Yukarin?"

"I'm sorry, it seems that something _very_ unexpected happened. Do you mean to tell me that _Yasora Kojiwa_ managed to break her seal?" Reimu nodded. "And the whole gory scene took place at the moon princess's wedding?"

"Well, I wouldn't exactly call it 'gory', but…it wasn't pretty."

"'Wouldn't call it gory'? Then the seal must not have been fully broken."

"I don't know; Utsuho didn't seem to have the slightest bit of control over anything, even after we knocked Yasora out." She paused for a moment. "Wait, that's right! When Kuroi-san's seal broke, she and Rumia were completely separate in wills, even though they were still sharing a body!"

"…Sure, let's go with that."

"Yukari-sama?"

"If Kojiwa's seal had truly broken, Utsuho would be a very gruesomely disfigured _corpse_ right now. Kojiwa's body would've emerged from Reiuji's, utterly destroying it in the process."

"That's…"

"Gory?"

"…Yeah."

"Told you so.

* * *

><p>"Yukari-sama <em>claims<em> that Yasora breaking free was completely unexpected and that she only left because she expected the Watatsukis' arrival and wanted to take advantage of their absence from the moon."

"This sounds in-character for Yukari-san," Eirin said.

"She certainly has a warped sense of timing," said a bitter, frail-looking thing. "It would've been nicer if she'd shown up shortly _after _we died and regenerated; I look horrible due to all of this radiation poisoning."

"That you, Houraisan?"

"Yes, it's me," she replied bitterly.

"Well, I _guess_ I could kill you two myself when it's safe again."

"…Thanks for that."

* * *

><p>CCX: If I have to do any more with Yukari, this chapter will never get posted. Back to Flandre.<p>

* * *

><p>When I reawoke, my sister was already back to normal. "Ah…"<p>

"Go," was all she said. "See her."

I looked at Sakuya. "Kojiwa's been resealed. I don't know if Reiuji-san is awake yet, but…I'm sure she wants to see you. She's probably worried…afraid that she might have hurt you."

"But it wasn't her fault…" I started.

"Tell that to her."

"…So who's going to be…" I trailed off. Remilia had told me to go. Did this mean that I wasn't going to be chaperoned? "I see. This is…thank you, oneesama."

"Know that I'm more concerned about this relationship now than ever. But you love her, so you should be with her."

I nodded. Oneesama had given her approval, in her own way. I set off.

* * *

><p>Okuu was still asleep when I arrived. "Fla—Scarlet-san." Satori had a tendency to call people by their given names, and without an honorific, but she stopped herself quickly. "Okuu will be happy to see you."<p>

"Yeah…I was thinking maybe I'd have to go collect your corpse," Orin said.

"Vampires don't leave corpses," I replied.

"Of course not."

"Play nice, you two," Koishi said.

A noise from Okuu's room cut things short. Orin heard it too and headed towards her, but I got there first. "Okuu-chan, you're alright!" I couldn't control myself; I kissed her, square on the lips.

She returned the gesture. "Mmm…I should be saying that to you, Flan-chan. Did I hurt you?"

"_You_ didn't do anything. _She_ hurt me. But she won't hurt me anymore, right?"

"I…can't promise that." She weakly tried to pull away from me, though it didn't seem like her heart was in it. I refused to release my embrace. "She…Yasora-san is still a part of me. And I can't get rid of her…at least, that's what she says. As strange as it seems, her seal never completely broke, and if it had…I'd be dead. I wish I didn't have to be the vessel sealing her…but I have to be, because to move her would do the same thing."

"That…that can't be true!" Orin said this, not me.

"It is. Yasora told you that?" Satori asked, and Okuu nodded. "Yukari told all of us as much when she came to help fix the seal—or should I say, Reimu-san brought her here."

"It's…something I'll have to live with, then," I said. "Okuu…I love you. I don't want to leave you."

"I don't want to leave you, either. Is that what love is?" She paused. "'Yes, you stupid raven, you're so madly in love with her that your feelings leaked onto _me_.' That's what Yasora-san just said. And while I don't really like listening to her…there's really no reason for me not to believe her on this matter."

Shocked, I released my grip on Okuu. "She…still talks to you?"

"Yeah. She's just a presence in the back of my mind, usually."

"Perhaps you should talk to the Yagami sisters about that," Satori suggested, smiling in a way I didn't think her capable of. "They might have some advice." Okuu winced suddenly, and Satori continued, "Also it will piss off Yasora."

* * *

><p>CCX: While the completion of this story and <em>Lonely No More<em> are my top priority at the moment, I think there's certainly a possibility of a distant prequel exploring in greater detail the rivalry between Yasora and the Yagamis' mother.

* * *

><p>"I…think we should hold off on making Yasora-san any angrier than we have to."<p>

"Okuu-san…" Orin started to say.

Okuu waved her off. "Can I have some time alone with Flandre?" Satori put her hand on Orin's shoulder and led her out, giving Okuu her request. "Flan-chan…"

"Yes?"

"I…love you too. But it's _because_ I love you…that I feel like maybe it's best if we don't see each other anymore."

"Okuu?"

Okuu was crying. "Don't make this any harder than it has to be. I was really scared that I'd lost you when Yasora-san started her rampage. Being around me will only put you in danger, Flandre-chan. So…"

"No," I said, tightening my grip on her again. "I don't want to let you go." I was crying, too.

"I don't want you to. But…I'm sorry."

* * *

><p>CCX: Production of Chapter 11 has already begun. Cyberchao X, signing off.<p> 


	12. Chapter 11

The Scarlet Devil 2: Scarlet Devil Rhapsody  
>by Cyberchao X<p>

Chapter 11

Disclaimer: All characters property of someone else, in most cases ZUN.

A/N: The first portion of this chapter actually takes place between the first Flandre part of Chapter 10 and the Yukari part.

_My name is Remilia Scarlet. As much as I don't like the idea of my little sister dating, I can't deny that I'm glad she's happy. But…I have my doubts that it can stay that way, after what happened. Utsuho Reiuji may love her, but she can't guarantee that she won't hurt her. And I _won't_ allow for that._

"Sakuya. You've been watching over me all this time?"

Sakuya nodded. "I was worried about you, Remi-san."

"How's Flandre-chan?"

"She's doing okay, I think. She actually woke up before you, but she still hadn't completely recovered so she went back to bed."

"…This was because of Reiuji-san, wasn't it?"

Sakuya nodded again. "The yatagarasu managed to take control of her body. Last I knew, they were still keeping her under guard until they could reseal her."

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that she managed to regain consciousness before me. From a pure power standpoint, Flan-chan's stronger than I am. But of course, I'm not surprised that I seem to have made a full recovery quicker, either, because I've got a better grip on my power." I got up, walked around, then flew, just to show Sakuya that I was feeling fine.

…Okay, maybe it was as much to prove it to myself as it was to Sakuya.

"Glad to see you're feeling better," she said, embracing me and pulling me into a kiss.

"Hey, Sakuya…you wouldn't perchance have taken advantage of me while I was asleep, would you?"

Sakuya turned red. "N-no, of course not, Remilia-san!"

"Well, why not?!" Sakuya stammered cutely, unable to properly form words. "Relax, Sakuya-chan, I'm joking." She still hasn't quite figured out how to tell when I'm serious—perhaps because I rarely joked around with her when our relationship was purely professional.

"That…that wasn't…"

"Funny? I thought it was. You're too serious, Sakuya."

"You used to demand that I always be serious."

"That's because I was too serious, too."

"So what changed?"

"I found love. You."

"Aw."

"So, shall we keep tabs on the progress of Reiuji-san?"

"…My lady?"

"…Yeah. I'm more apprehensive than ever about their relationship. But Flan-chan's bound to go after her when she wakes up. I…I just don't want Flandre getting hurt."

"…I'm glad to hear you feel that way. Don't worry, if something changes, we'll know before long. Kirisame-san's agreed to tell Sara-san if she finds anything out." Seeing my confused expression, Sakuya clarified, "Alice, not Marisa."

"Oh. Right." It had been close to a year since Miss Margatroid had become Mrs. Kirisame, but I still thought of her by her maiden name. "Sara-san was the maid of honor at their wedding, wasn't she?"

Sakuya nodded. "You're getting better at remembering the little things."

"I'm trying. I…admit that perhaps being the haughty ojousama wasn't the best move."

"Well, I can't exactly picture you as a commoner. But, yes, I'm glad that you're becoming a bit more…" She stopped.

"A bit more what?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Sakuya?"

"…A bit more human." I laughed. Sakuya seemed confused, obviously not expecting this reaction.

* * *

><p>CCX: And that's how they knew that Yasora had been resealed.<p>

* * *

><p>As soon as Flandre returned, I knew that Reiuji <em>had<em> hurt her, though not in the way she was afraid of. "Flandre-chan…what happened?"

"I confessed to her."

"She doesn't feel the same way."

"She does. That's…that's why we can't see each other anymore."

"…I see. I…can't say I'm unhappy with this outcome, because I've always been a bit afraid of you being with a sun-powered youkai, but…even though I know it's for the best, and that it happened because she only wants you to be safe…I can't say I'm happy, either. I'm sorry, Flan-chan…"

"…No, you're right. It's…for the best…"

* * *

><p>"…Something wrong, Remilia-san?"<p>

"Just thinking about Flandre. Even she realizes that this is for the best, but…I can't bear seeing her so heartbroken."

Sakuya calmly replied, "So do something about it. You 'control people's fates', right?"

"That's…altering fate isn't the same as actually changing reality. It's…probably closer to that rabbit's luck manipulation ability than anything else. I can create chance encounters, things that seem improbable. Besides…there's nothing to alter."

"…My lady?"

"Maybe my 'special power' is completely useless. At first, I wanted nothing more than for them to be fated to be apart, and so I changed their fates to make it so…but I saw the way Flan-chan was when she was around the bird, and so I changed things back to the way they were. And yet…now they are apart, again defying fate."

Sakuya seemed to disapprove of my meddling, but she remained even-tempered. "Perhaps your power just takes some time to take effect? This could merely be the result of you temporarily altering their fates such that they were fated to be apart, in which case it will pass after roughly the amount of time it took for you to change your mind."

"Thanks for reassuring me, Sakuya-chan. Let's…not tell Flandre about this, just in case we're wrong."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

* * *

><p>CCX: Well, that was short. But that's to be expected, right?<p> 


	13. Chapter 12

The Scarlet Devil 2: Scarlet Devil Rhapsody  
>by Cyberchao X<p>

Final Chapter

…

_**OBJECTION!**_

Yes, it's true. The plan was for us to be heading into the final chapter, and then I thought, 'Maybe I shouldn't have a happy ending this time, just because that's what I always do and I need to vary things up a bit.' But I remembered something I'd previously forgotten, that I said in the beginning that this would be used to develop another relationship. So, potential answers. Disclaimer us up!

Kogasa and Kisume: Disclaimered! All locations and most characters are property of ZUN. Remaining characters are property of the author. Yasora, if she ends up getting referenced in this chapter, is the creation of KimikoMuffin.

* * *

><p>"Make me a way to overcome my weakness to the sun." This wasn't a question, it was a demand. From someone who could easily blow my head off.<p>

"I'll do everything I can. Not sure if I can pull something like that off, though. You might have better luck at the Hakurei Shrine."

"You think Reimu-san can help me?"

"I was thinking more about the fact that Sanae-san's ability involves working miracles. Why do you suddenly want this, anyway? You and your sister have ways of getting about in daylight already."

"Because it's not about the sun itself. Rather, it's about a certain special someone with sun-based powers…right?"

"Kami-chan?"

"Yeah, exactly," Flandre replied. "How did you know, um…I'm sorry, I don't think I know you."

"No, we've never met, but based on your conversation, it's obvious that you're one of the vampires who live in the mansion at the foot of the mountain. I'm Kannazuki Michiru."

"Pleased to meet you, Michiru-san. I'm Flandre Scarlet."

_My name is Nitori Kawashiro. I'm a kappa, skilled in creating new technology…and horribly unskilled in social situations. Somehow I've gotten involved in a situation far above my head…and I'm powerless to say no._

"I'm still not sure how you figured out her problem," I said.

"When you were giving me the tour of Gensokyo, we saw that hell raven headed down the mountain, and learned that she was probably headed to that Scarlet Devil Mansion, which confused you because her sun powers would be dangerous to its residents. And then there was that thing recently where the sun got super-bright at a time it shouldn't have been out at all, and now here's a vampire who wants to be able to withstand sunlight. Seems like these events should be related, and I suspect that love is involved."

"You're really smart, Michiru-san. Yeah, Okuu-chan was re—was closely involved with that. And even though she didn't mean to, she—well, not really, but it was controlling her body—ended up hurting me. And even though it wasn't her fault, she's afraid that she might end up hurting me again, so…she broke up with me."

"It'll be okay, Flandre-san." The rumors that had been going around about Flandre for the longest time suggested that she was downright psychotic and mentally unstable, and there was little evidence to contradict this, but lately it's starting to come out that this may have been inaccurate and that it would be more accurate to call her "childish"—which with her level of power would be just as destructive, given that young children often throw temper tantrums when they don't get their way. "You'll find someone else."

"Nitori-chan! You can be so insensitive!"

"What did I do wrong?" I asked.

"Can't you see that they both still love each other? That's what makes this so painful. Reiuji-san dumped her not because she didn't love her, but rather because she _did_. So I think you should do everything you can to help her."

"That's easier said than done."

"Yes, well, I thought you _should_ understand her plight."

"…What do you mean by that?"

"I seem to remember you trying to push me away when you thought I'd dump you if I found out you weren't human, that we were from two separate worlds."

Damnit. She had me there. It would be hard enough to say no when Michiru clearly wanted me to say yes, but by invoking my hesitance to reveal my true nature to her, I really was bound to try to help Flandre. "I…did do that, didn't I?" I moved a little closer to her and pretended to tear up.

"It's okay. It's not like I loved you any less once you told me the truth." As expected, she was quick to try to "comfort" me.

"Okay, thanks…it _is_ still daytime, so I'll just head home now and you can just stop by the mansion when it's done; I'll tell both gatekeepers that it's okay to let you in."

Flandre left, and Michiru slapped me in the back of the head. "Ow! What was that for?"

"…Seriously, Nitori, as much as I love you, you seriously need to work on your social graces. I can't believe I let you trick me into making out with you in front of a heartbroken girl like that."

"…So you saw through it."

"Yeah, but you were so inviting, and _so_ cute." I blushed. "Yeah, like that." She engaged me again.

"I thought…"

"It was rude to start something when there were other people around, especially those who are having relationship problems. But we're alone now." I had to hand it to Kami-chan; she worked quickly.

* * *

><p>CCX: In her chapter, Michiru makes a comment regarding the "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" trope, saying that Nitori didn't fit the usual archetype of the fantastic magical girlfriend; in fact, <em>she<em> is probably a lot closer to fulfilling this role for Nitori.

* * *

><p>"So what exactly are you doing here?" Reimu asked.<p>

"Trying to work on my latest project," I replied.

"I can see that. Why are you doing it _here_?"

"Because I suspect it will take a miracle to actually succeed."

"…You can't just ask for a miracle. They never happen that way."

"Ease up on her, Reimu-san," Michiru protested on my behalf.

"Don't tell me what to do."

"You _have_ been in a bad mood lately, Rei-chan," Sanae said. "Ever since Kaguya-sama and Mokou-san's wedding."

"…I thought after all the incidents I've resolved, I had this whole Hakurei miko thing down. But I was completely lost there… Normally I have to fight my way through to the source of an incident, and this one developed right before my eyes, yet ultimately I had to rely on so many others to help get it resolved."

"An incident…would this be the thing with the bright sun at night?"

"Yeah…I guess Reimu's been taking it a bit hard."

"Well, then, that's all the more reason for her to help Nitori-chan. This project and that incident are related."

"But the incident's been solved," Sanae said.

"Maybe so, but there are still lingering aftereffects for some of the key figures."

"How do you mean?"

"She's been asked to create something that will allow a _vampire_ to overcome her weakness to the sun."

"…Sounds like Remilia-san's involvement."

"The way Flandre-san told it, Utsuho-san broke up with her of her own volition."

"…Still sounds like Remi-san's work. Well, I'll see if I can help, but I'm not as powerful as Remilia, so if she's working against this, I might not be able to change anything. So anyway, how are you adjusting to Gensokyo?"

"I love it here. Every day is a new adventure. I suppose the novelty's starting to wear off a little, but that's not really a bad thing, is it?"

"Not at all, though that wasn't exactly what I meant."

"Oh. Well, I haven't quite managed to fly under my own power yet—Nitori-chan told me that most natives can, but I was surprised when I learned that you could, too."

"It's…not exactly consistent," Reimu said. "I couldn't for the longest time, and I'm native to Gensokyo."

"Really? I never knew that you couldn't always fly," Sanae said.

"It's true. Genjii-san used to have to carry me."

"Well, anyway, give it some time. The changes aren't immediate."

* * *

><p>CCX: And again, I'm not really sure how to continue this and I'm feeling totally suffocated by the first-person format. This chapter doesn't really <em>feel<em> complete, but there's not really much to write about; this would probably be time for a montage in a more visual medium. Ja ne!


	14. Final Chapter

The Scarlet Devil 2: Scarlet Devil Rhapsody  
>by Cyberchao X<p>

Kogasa: Disclaimer time again! Wait, why are we here?

Kisume: It's because there's something different about this chapter!

Kogasa: Oh, is it from two perspectives like the final chapter of _The Scarlet Devil_ was?

CCX: Nope, but you're right about it being a TSD finale tradition.

Kisume: Oh, I know! We need a disclaimer for song lyrics, right?

CCX: Bingo! Lyrics copyright Calvin Harris. …When I planned it out, this song was actually in heavy rotation _on the radio._ That was nearly three years ago…

**Final Chapter**

_My name is Utsuho Reiuji, living seal for a mad yatagarasu and poster girl for nuclear and solar energy. It's the latter that's causing problems, though…because I fell madly in love with a vampire. When the yatagarasu broke her seal, I nearly ended up killing my beloved…so I ended the relationship. I don't want to be without Flan-chan, but…it's for her own safety._

"Okuu!" Orin, of course. She's been trying to cheer me up…but whenever I'm with her, I'm thinking of Flandre.

_I feel so close to you right now  
>It's a force field<br>I wear my heart upon my sleeve  
>Like a big deal<em>

"Not now, Orin! I'm just…" I sighed. "You know I don't really feel that way about you, right?"

"…"

"You're my friend. That's never going to change. But I don't…I just want…"

A voice behind me. "Me?" That voice.

"I thought I said…I thought I said we shouldn't see each other anymore."

"So, what, you just gave up on us?" Flandre asked. She flew towards me, wrapped her arms around me from behind. How I missed that embrace…so firm, yet it still felt tender to me. "Well I didn't."

"So Nitori finally perfected it?" the mistress asked. I don't understand, mistress Satori…what had you known about?

"You heard?"

"I'm a mind reader, remember? And I believe you remember that last time you were here, I suggested that Okuu talk to the Yagami sisters. We have indeed seen them about this 'two minds, one body' issue."

"I see. Of course you would know that Kawashiro-san went to Yagami-san for help with my request."

_Your love falls down on me  
>Surrounds me like a waterfall<br>And there's no stopping us right now  
>I feel so close to you right now<em>

"Request?" I asked.

"A way to withstand sunlight. So I can be close to you."

"You…you've overcome your weakness to sunlight?"

"…To a degree. I'm probably still in trouble if Kojiwa's full power comes out, but so are you. I'll still take the usual precautions against sunlight, too, but in an emergency…"

She was wearing a necklace I'd never seen before, and it now seemed that it was something Nitori had created, as Flandre's body was covered in shadow, as if all of the color had been drained out of her. Meanwhile, Yasora was screaming at me. Tuning her out, I asked, "Is that Yagami-san's power?"

"Yeah. Yagami-san—Kuroi, that is—helped empower this." She turned it off. "It can only stay charged for so long, so I shouldn't waste it, but I just had to show you. You never have to worry again, I promise you."

"F-Flandre…"

"Come on. We'll go back to my place."

"Must we? There are so many people in the Mansion," I protested, "and the Moriya Shrine counts on me fueling the power plant so my permanent residence will always be here."

"Ah, I wasn't talking about the future…wait, you're talking about the future, aren't you?" I smiled.

_I feel so close to you right now  
>It's a force field<br>I wear my heart upon my sleeve  
>Like a big deal<em>

"I suppose I am."

"Okuu!" Orin protested, and Flan…smiled?

"It's okay. I know you love Okuu too…and you're always welcome." I couldn't help but feel a little jealous as Orin purred at that same gentle touch, even though she seemed a bit unwilling herself.

"You're so sweet, Flan-chan…but this next part should just be us." Flandre nodded in agreement, and we went into another room, the mistress and her sister both stopping Orin from following. Spending so much time away from Flandre, I knew…that it was time to take our relationship to a level it had never reached before. She was the one I wanted to be with.

_Your love falls down on me  
>Surrounds me like a waterfall<br>And there's no stopping us right now  
>I feel so close to you right now<em>

It was every bit as wonderful as I imagined, and over the coming weeks, we saw each other quite frequently, both at my home and at the mansion she shared with her sister and their staff and that librarian. Sometimes Orin joined us, too. And one day when we went to the Mansion, I asked her older sister if it would be okay if Flandre came to stay with me permanently. "That's…not really my decision to make," she replied. "As much as I hate to admit it, Flandre-chan's old enough to make her own decisions. I wish I _could_ hang onto her forever…and I still don't like the fact that of all things, you're powered by the sun. But my little sister went through a lot of trouble to try to get you back. A _lot_ of trouble." She paused. "So if she wants to go with you, I won't stop her."

"Thank you so much, Remilia-san!" And I went and found Flandre and asked her, and of course she was excited to do it, and started making plans to move out of the Mansion as soon as possible. "Wait, it's going to take some time, Flan-chan," I said. "It's not like we'd be moving to where I'm staying now. We have to have a place of our own…I'm sure there are plenty of places in the Former Hell; that part of the Underground doesn't have as many people living there."

"Yeah, of course…we'll start looking tomorrow."

"Tonight," I said.

"Tonight."

_And there's no stopping us right now_

_And there's no stopping us right now_

_And there's no stopping us right now_

_I feel so close to you right now_

* * *

><p>CCX: I'd been trying to get this final chapter out for awhile now, and it was probably a little bit of a rush job because of circumstances and I was also a little tired even before I started working on it. But I think I managed to acquit myself okay, and besides it's a short song so I don't have to stretch this out. And this fic was just generally weaker than the original <em>Scarlet Devil<em> from the start. Sequels generally are, aren't they? Until next time, this is Cyberchao X, signing off.

Wow…to look back and realize that the start of this fic predated that sign-off phrase…


End file.
